VCasey- need your expertise. We are fairly to new to wine making. Started around January this year and have loved every minute, however, last three Orchard Breezin' kits have had the "jet fuel" taste I have heard about. Strange as we think we do the same thing every time and add about 7 1/2 cups of sugar. So you are saying it might be too much sugar for the yeast to handle causing the jet fuel smell/taste?
Making a dry red with high %abv
- Thread starter u01dtj6
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
PeterZ
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2006
- Messages
- 1,290
- Reaction score
- 1
Tiffany, it's not the yeast, it's the amount of sugar. You are getting your alcohol level too high and the result is the jet fuel taste. Fortunately, that will mellow out in about 6 months to a year, and the wine will probably taste fine. In the meantime, I would reduce the added sugar to about 4 cups. With these kits I try to shoot for 9-10% ABV. I find that this level is just about right.
I would use a hydrometer and shoot for that 10% Peter suggested. I have made only 1 of the mist style kits and compared it to cough medicine. Actually the couch medicine would win every time. Since then I have not even considered making another one of that style. Good luck and use that hydrometer!
VC
VC
By what I could find on the subject I assumed we had added too much sugar in error. That you for your advise. I am not sure when or where we started adding the 7.5 cups but the funny thing is it has worked fine on all but 3 kits. Anyway, we are only trying to get to a typical wine ABV of 9 to 11% so I will cut the sugar down so it doesn't happen again! Thank you very much! That is the only reason you would have that jet fuel smell/taste, correct? I appreciate your help.
u01dtj6 said:
I would imagine the UK brew shops would sell Citric Acid, Malic Acid and Tartaric Acid separately even if they don't carry the Acid Blend itself? You can make your own Acid Blend for fruit wines then by mixing equal parts of the three.
Or, you can mix your own blend as you like, vary the proportions according to availability and price.
If you want to get really 'techie' then you can tweak the various acids you add based on the relative proportions already in the fruit in question.
pelican,
Yes, they do sell the three types of acids. However, when I asked her if I should buy all three and mix them up equally, she told me not to do it as acid blend is different??? But I don'tbelieve her myself!
So that's all I do is buy all three and mix them all up together (equal amounts), store it in a container, and use a teaspoon of that mixture that are called for in my recipes? Is that correct?
However, I'm quite tempted to go through George for some reason, because at the same time I'll be able to buy an acid test kid, another thing they don't sell at the local h/brew store.
Thanks,
Dan
Yes, they do sell the three types of acids. However, when I asked her if I should buy all three and mix them up equally, she told me not to do it as acid blend is different??? But I don'tbelieve her myself!
So that's all I do is buy all three and mix them all up together (equal amounts), store it in a container, and use a teaspoon of that mixture that are called for in my recipes? Is that correct?
However, I'm quite tempted to go through George for some reason, because at the same time I'll be able to buy an acid test kid, another thing they don't sell at the local h/brew store.
Thanks,
Dan
PeterZ- I was pretty sure we had the problem the pegged after reading both you and VCasey's replies. I am not 100% now. When Iweigh the amount of sugar we used it comes out to around 3.5 LBs. or a little less. I see most are using at least 4 and sometimes 5 LBs. Now I am somewhat concerned again. I did go back and look at my notes. We have consistently used 7.5 Cups, which is the 3.5 LBs. (actually 3.3). This latest kit I have cut to 6 Cups. I should know at that point what if that is our issue. I also wonder why the previous 10 kits turned out great with 7.5 Cups and these last three are tasting/smelling off. I did fail to mention that it seems to be only part of the wine. We had a Black Cherry Pinot Noir that we bagged. Two bags were ok and the last had the strong smell and less fruit taste, it wasn't nearly as sweet as the first bags. This lastest Blackberry Merlot has been the worst. The first bottle (one of the last to be bottled) had an awful jet fuel taste and smell. We opened another one (one of the first to be bottled) and it wasn't as bad. Didn't smell fruity and good like our previous kits and it didn't have that Blackberry taste I love so much in this kit. It was drinkable but not great. Do you still think it is probably the sugar addition?
PeterZ
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2006
- Messages
- 1,290
- Reaction score
- 1
Tiffany, it sounds like you are not mixing the F-pack in sufficiently. When you initially pour it in it sinks to the bottom. It needs to be stirred in very well or the bottom strata will be over sweet and the upper strata (bottled last) will be thin and hot (rocket fuel tasting). Think of mixing a couple tablespoons of honey into a glass of iced tea. It takes a lot of stirring.
u01dtj6 said:pelican,
Yes, they do sell the three types of acids. However, when I asked her if I should buy all three and mix them up equally, she told me not to do it as acid blend is different??? But I don'tbelieve her myself!
So that's all I do is buy all three and mix them all up together (equal amounts), store it in a container, and use a teaspoon of that mixture that are called for in my recipes? Is that correct?
However, I'm quite tempted to go through George for some reason, because at the same time I'll be able to buy an acid test kid, another thing they don't sell at the local h/brew store.
Thanks,
Dan
Hey Dan, I've seen different ratios quoted - 40/40/20, 30/30/30, 50/10/40 - seems whatever floats the mixers boat and maybe due to cost of the varying acids (tartaric over here is more than the citric and malic but I looked at a UK mail order site and saw even prices across all three).
You can be as techno as you feel like being - if you have apples, say, and they are high in malic you can go easier on the malic and add a bit more citric or tartaric. If using orange juice, don't add anymore citric (you probably don't need to add acid to an orange juice wine come to think of it). Grapes so I've read are the only fruit naturally high in Tartaric acid, and it's one of the key things that makes wine, wine-y.
On the other hand, an equal blend of the three will give you a real decent 'acid blend' to use for general purposes.
Not all shop keepers are as knowledgeable as they put themselves out to be - but I'd say you can trust an answer you get from George at FineVineWines if you were to ask his advise.
Hey Scotty look up Wyeast 4347 Eau De Vie. I've just tried it with my last 2 cysers/meads and while its to early to see where they will finish I am pretty sure I'll be close to the 21%, if not a bit over. The first one I made is at 19% and I'll be racking it in a couple of weeks on some dates and raisins. The other one I just started and its at 15% and still needs to go on raisins.
He said they used elderberry juice.
VC
He said they used elderberry juice.
VC
Well it's been a long time since my last post, I think since about August. Around about then I made a Welch's purple grape juice wine and started at an S.G. of 1.110 and today at racking it red 0.992. JET FUEL at 16%. My dad has tried to assure me that this taste will mellow. Is this correct?
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2005
- Messages
- 15,188
- Reaction score
- 1,211
u01dtj6 said:
It will mellow with a couple years age on it, but you probably don't want to wait that long. You could mix it with something else or make another low ABV batch and then blend the two. Try for 11-12 on that style wine.
Similar threads
